In December 2003, HI~Arts carried out an initial consultancy with festivals across the region (a report on the findings is available to download) and hosted an inaugural Festivals Forum Conference in April 2004. At the Conference, and in addition to the many festival organisers who joined us in Inverness, we were pleased to welcome speakers from the Association of Irish Festival Events (AOIFE) and Gaelforce Festivals (Dumfries and Galloway).
In 2005, a second Festivals meeting took place as part of the Highlands & Islands Audience Development Conference, which presented not only a valuable social and networking opportunity for more than 70 invited delegates but also allowed for some focused consideration on practical issues of marketing and promotion. The Conference also included a presentation of the PAN (Promoters Arts Network) Audience Development report, an update on the Cultural Commission and the launch of The Booth online ticketing project.
The Festivals Guide on the HI-Arts website is, we believe, the most comprehensive online guide to festivals across the Highlands & Islands and one that is growing year on year. We welcome new entries and, as always, suggestions as to how we might help the sector develop and reach new audiences.
If you would like to comment, or require any further information, please contact Marcus Wilson (marcus@hi-arts.co.uk) or John Saich (john@hi-arts.co.uk) and we will be pleased to assist where we can.
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